Monday, February 22, 2016

It's been a good week! Started off with District Leader Training with President Checketts, where I got to learn a lot more about my responsibility as a District Leader, but also so many different ways I can continue improving as a missionary. It was pretty cool to meet with all the District Leaders in the mission, especially since a lot of them are from my intake (including Elder Blake and Elder Parkinson) and Elder Lamipeti.

This week, Elder Flake and I have started to do a lot more tracting, which allows us to branch out a little bit more. We've been able to improve our teaching skills at the door and meet a lot of new people. We also got to teach Jess about the Book of Mormon. Her native language is French, so we got her a copy in French and she was so excited to start reading. We are heaps excited to continue teaching her, especially with the Komene's as an awesome fellowship.

One of the less active members we try to visit every week is Piero. He's still working on finishing the Book of Mormon, and hasn't made it to church in a while, but has such a strong testimony. He literally loves God so much and has heeeaps of faith. We love meeting with him, it's always such a highlight.

Sunday was as Aussie's like to say, sweet as. To start, we had Stake Conference. The first two speakers spoke mainly about The Book of Mormon, it's truthfulness and purpose, and a whole bunch of statistics that testified of a need for a Restoration. Sooo good. President and Sister Checketts both gave great talks about missionary work. President touched upon the need for the Book of Mormon, and described it saying that it explains why Christ did certain things in the Bible, whereas the Bible teaches the who, what, where, and when of Christ. President Hamilton, our Stake President concluded by stating that we need to simply trust in the Lord. (Proverbs 3:5-6!)

Yesterday we got to experience a pretty cool miracle out tracting in some flats. We knocked on a Tibetan family's door, they answered, and we introduced ourselves and what we as missionaries did. Then something crazy happened: they. let. us in. Seriously in my five months out, that's only the second time anyone has ever let us in to teach them. Long story short, we got to teach them the Restoration and it was way cool because the dad couldn't speak much English so the daughter would translate. The whole lesson he would nod in agreeance with what we were teaching. I don't know how much of the lesson the man comprehended, but it definitely testified of the language of the Spirit.

Today our Zone has the privilege to attend the temple and basically all I have to say is that I love this Gospel. I've heard people say that over the years, and I guess I just never really understood it completely. The Church is so true and the eternal perspective it gives is incredible. The opportunity to help further the Lord's work today was awesome.

Love you heaps! Elder Muh

Ponderize - 2 Corinthians 13:1"This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."This is just like the verse in 2 Nephi. In all things, we need to testify, not only just as companions. For example, the Old and New Testaments are testified by the Book of Mormon, the Bible is testified by the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. And that is a House of Order. What a beauty this Gospel is. - Ephesians 1:10" That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:"

Verses all over the Bible point to the need for a Restoration and I love when I get to them. This is the last dispensation. The Church has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and is currently led by President Monson.

Reunited with my trainer, Elder Lamipeti

Elder Flake's family sent a care package; talk about American food!

"How can you not believe in God after seeing a flower like this?!" #ElderFlake

This is Australia's Gatorade (Special Edition: Australia Day)

There's a picture like this on lds.org. I tried to copy them, but they got the better shot

Monday, February 15, 2016

This week has been pretty good. We read the Book of Mormon with Piero and the less active/part member family we've been working with is really progressing. We had a trade off with the Zone Leaders, so Elder Flake and I both got to do heaps of finding in heavily populated areas.

Our Zone Leaders, Elder Vaughn and Elder Poole are both super solid missionaries, so we were able to learn a lot and take back some new finding skills to Harbord.

We also started teaching one of Sister Komene's friends this week, which was pretty awesome. She's had LDS friends in the past and really wants to know what we believe in. We got to teach her the Restoration and the Komene family shared their testimonies of the Church.

Saturday was pretty cool. We met as a District to work on a missionary fireside that we're planning for our two wards, which we're really excited about. The Sisters made banana bread and we went and ate at McDonald's for dinner afterwards. It's been interesting to think that if the rule hadn't changed, I probably would've been at BYU-Hawai'i right now.

Elder Flake and I are looking forward to a smash we as we continue to work on our finding skills and we gather the Lord's lost sheep and bring them back to the fold.

The Church is true.

The Book is blue.

I'll see you in two.

Ofa Lahi Atu,

Elder Muh

Ponderize

- Totally forgot to choose a new scripture this morning (we didn't have personal study yet - we went on a lookout trail this morning as a District) so I'll have two scriptures next week

Words of the Week

- Muesli, Granola

- Bin, Trash Can

Shoutout to the Miyamoto's for the local snacks! We enjoyed a nice birthday breakfast!

Sunday, February 7, 2016

This week has been pretty fun. Elder Flake has gotten pretty acclimated to it all, and now we're just working on trying to build up our teaching pool! Serving with an American companion has been awesome. We've had heaps of American soda, and even made some kangaroo burgers for lunch one day.

One of my favorite aspects of missionary work is visiting less active and part member families. It always takes me back to when I was a kid and we would have the missionaries over for dinner. I remember loving the lessons they taught because they always involved the kids through an activity or cool stories. That is something we always try to do that when we visit young families, especially with the family we visit weekly. The past few weeks, we've been reading the Book of Mormon with them and have the kids follow along in the storybook version (genius idea for family study, whoever came up with that idea). I always love asking the kids what they see in the pictures and how they can learn from them.

This week, we also had a special training focused on family history work and how we can use it as a missionary tool. President shared the commission Christ gives in Matthew 28 and pointed out that "all nations" can cut through dimensions, it doesn't just have to be those living in this day and age. The training definitely helped me to realize that is is all one great work directed by our Father in Heaven. When D&C 18 talks about the worth of souls, it isn't just talking about the souls upon this earth, but also the souls of family members, past, and present.

It is my goal in the upcoming weeks to truly apply family history into our missionary work. I hope to get involved with the members (and non members) as we strive to gather the lost sheep and bring them back to the fold. I would invite you to continue (or start) your family history work and help those around you with it as well!

Until next week, Aloooha!

Elder Muh

Words of the Week

- Choc, A lot of places here call chocolate "choc"

- Sachet, Packet (instead of oatmeal packets, it's oatmeal sachets)

Ponderize

- 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,but in the power of God."

When we teach, we don't have to try to impress or stoop to the view of the world. If we strive to teach by the Spirit, there will be power in our teaching. In the long run, it is better to have spiritual power than physical/worldy power.